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Overview

Two famous, firsthand accounts of the holy war in the Middle Ages

Originally composed in Old French, the two chronicles brought together here offer some of the most vivid and reliable accounts of the Crusades from a Western perspective. Villehardouin’s Conquest of Constantinople, distinguished by its simplicity and lucidity, recounts the controversial Fourth Crusade, which descended into an all-out attack on the E astern Christians of Byzantium. In Life of Saint Louis, Joinville draws on his close attachment to King Louis IX of France to recall his campaigning in the Holy Land. Together these narratives comprise a fascinating window on events that, for all their remoteness, offer startling similarities to our own age.

Table of Contents

IntroductionVillehardouin: The Conquest of Constantinople1. Muster-Roll of the Fourth Crusade2. Treaty with the Venetians3. The Army Seeks a Leader4. Delays and Disappointments5. Siege of Zara6. Discord in the Army7. Voyage to Scutari8. Preparations for an Assault9. First Siege of Constantinople10. The Emperor’s Covenant11. Appeal to Arms12. Second Siege to Constantinople13. Election of an Emperor14. A Case of Strained Relations15. War against the Greeks16. Siege of Adrianople17. A Regency Established18. King Johanitza Ravages the Empire19. Offensive and Counter-Offensive20. War on Two Fronts21. Excursions Outside the EmpireJoinville: The Life of Saint LouisIntroductionPart One1. The Servant of God2. The Servant of His PeoplePart Two1. Turbulence of Barons2. Preparations for a Crusade3. Voyage to Cyprus4. Landing in Egypt5. Occupation of Damietta6. Operations on the Nile7. The Battle of Mansourah8. Victory and its Aftermath9. The French in Captivity10. Negotiations with the Saracens11. The King in Acre12. The Old Man of the Mountain13. The Tartars14. Life in Caesarea15. Expedition to Jaffa16. Expedition to Saida17. Return to France18. The King’s Administration of his Realm19. A Fatal Crusade20. Canonization of Saint LouisNotes on the TranslationGlossaryMaps